PC Points: Making the most out of the PC Plus loyalty program

I never used to be a fan of loyalty card programs. I felt like I was paying too high a price for enrolment. When you enrol in a loyalty program you basically give the company permission to use your data. (Which is why reading the privacy policy is always a good idea.) This may not seem like a big deal, but it did to me. Companies can make money off of the information they collect about us. Any why would I want to give Shopper’s Drug Mart/Esso/Chapters/Cineplex any more money than I already do?

I had a change of heart when I started to think about the stores we were supporting on a regular basis already. I also saw the benefits when we booked our trip to Canada’s Wonderland this summer. The points we had accumulated on our RBC card allowed us to book a pretty nice hotel for only $17/night. (That is not a typo!)

Call it a sign of the times, but I decided I could trade off some personal info in exchange for some great deals.

PC Plus is not a credit card (although Loblaw’s has one of those too), it’s a loyalty program. And this, my friends, IS COUPON CLIPPING OF THE FUTURE.

You need an email address to sign up (which may be a barrier for some people). I signed up at my local Loblaws and I received a set of cards right away: a business-card size card and a smaller one I attached to my key fob. I recommend downloading the PC Plus app too, which has been a great way of keeping track of new point offers that come along every week. It’s linked to my account and I can also ask the cashier to scan it if I’ve forgotten my card.

Unlike other loyalty programs, you do not earn points on every purchase.

There are essentially two ways of accumulating PC Plus points:

In-store points. These are printed near the price of each item. I actually find them hard to see sometimes, so it’s smart to pay attention. Everyone who is enrolled in the program can get these points.

Digital points. These are points that are tailored to your past purchases and don’t apply to everyone. You’re notified by email which products can earn points for that week.

The program is pretty simple really: 1,000 points is worth $1 and you can redeem them as soon as you hit 20,000 (or more, but in increments of 10K only).

What I appreciate is that I can earn points on whole foods (like chicken, vegetables, fruit etc) that I buy anyway and aren’t traditionally subject to coupons. And I’m often surprised at the extra offers that I find in my Inbox. For example, a couple weeks ago they gave me 20,000 points ($20!) for spending over $85, which is very easy for a family of four to spend in one visit.

The points can accumulate fairly quickly, especially if Loblaws is your regular grocery store. Since we’ve enrolled in PC Plus in July I’ve redeemed $120 worth of PC points. And there’s twenty bucks sitting there waiting to be redeemed next time I shop. Not bad eh?

There are 16 items on my personal points list this week (remember, they’re tailored to my past purchases). These include:

PC Free Run eggs (900 points)

No Name honey (1,000 points)

1,000 points for every $5 spent on PC yogurt

1,000 points for every $5 spent on fresh fruit

Tropicana juice blends (800 points)

And if I spend $125 in the store this week they’ll give me 12,000 bonus points.

Save money with these tips

I have a few tips for you if you’re using PC Plus and want to save some money on your grocery bill:

If your spouse ever does the shopping, make sure they are carrying a card that is linked to the family account. In our house, I have the mini fob card which is attached to my car keys, and Mark carries the regular sized card in his wallet. There’s also a copy of the card on the app.

Download the app to your mobile phone. I find this a very easy way to keep track of new deals and it’s a handy reference for if you find yourself at the store.

Plan your menus around the biggest point earners that week. And don’t forget about school lunches too. For example, if fresh nectarines are on the points list, buy these for lunches instead of apples or oranges. If bananas have good point value, buy extra and bake a loaf of banana bread.

Related to this, pay close attention to the fact that these are single use offers. I had an offer for 200 points for every $1.00 spent on pork in the meat department. I did a small shop early in the week and bought a package of ground pork for a recipe I was making that night. Later in the week I went back to get ribs for a weekend BBQ, but I didn’t get the points because I already used my one time offer on that small package of pork earlier in the week! Had I really taken the time to think about it I should have bought it all in one shot in order to get all the points.

But don’t be so focused on point accumulation that you ignore actual prices. There’s no point overpaying for something just because you’re being offered a few points in exchange. This is especially true if you’re comparison shopping between brands. For example, there were two different brand names of coconut popscicles. One had a great point value and the other one didn’t, BUT the one with the points cost almost twice as much and the points didn’t make up for the difference. So I left it there.

Stock up. Every once in awhile PC Points will be applied to non-perishable goods we use regularly, such as detergent, canned fruit, or dry cereal. Buy multiples and you’ll save in the long run.

The best PC Plus deals and point earners are the ones that apply to sale merchandise, so if this is the case, stock up, because you’re getting the best deal possible.

Pay attention to that weekly email and always make sure your offers are “loaded” before you head out to the store. If your offers aren’t loaded you won’t get any of the points. If you’re using the PC Plus iPhone app, update your offers before you hit the store. Internet access from the depths of the store can be iffy.

Extra special deals come around every once in awhile, which makes it even more important to stay on top of that weekly email and make sure the deals are loaded. For example, a recent PC Plus deal awarded 10,000 points if you spent $50 on Joe Fresh clothing (which adds up quickly if you stocking up on socks and underwear for the kids). It’s worth noting that points are awarded on Joe Fresh items that are on sale too, which makes this special kind of deal EXTRA good.

Related: Have you ever had an offer that requires you to spend $XXX in order to get X points? And you find yourself short a dollar or two at the register? This is the time to buy a few packs of gum to tip you over the edge!

Check your receipts and cross reference to your point offers.This is crucial. If you have an offer for an item, it’s always a good idea to check and make sure you got the points. It happens! If you’re missing points, it’s an easy enough fix, especially if you use the app. (Go to Transactions. Click on the date of your grocery trip. Then choose “points inquiry.”) You can also report the error on the PC Plus website but you’ll need to type in your receipt number. Your points inquiry will be reviewed and you should hear back from someone within a few business days. I’ve had success reporting missing points this way.

Don’t forget that you can earn and redeem PC Plus Points at a number of different stores. The PC Plus program is available at the following stores across Canada: Atlantic Superstore, Dominion (Newfoundland and Labrador), Bloor Street Market, Extra Foods, Fortinos, Loblaws, Loblaws City Market, Loblaws Great Food, Maxi, Maxi & Cie, No Frills, Provigo, Provigo Le Marché, Real Canadian Superstore, Save Easy, Valu-mart, Your Independent Grocer, and Zehrs. You can also use their online store locator tool to find a participating store near you.

It’s worth noting that you can’t earn points if you go through the self-checkout. Apparently it works at the self-checkout now. Yay!

Are you collecting PC Plus Points? I’d love to hear about any other tips or tricks you may have!

Update November 17, 2013:The PC Plus points program finally rolled out at the Great Canadian Superstore. This makes points collection a lot more convenient for me. And I’m up to 99,200 points! That means that I’m well on my way to my goal of earning a totally free grocery shop at Christmas. If I have leftover points I’ll spend them on gift cards as stocking stuffers. (YES. You can do that!)

Update December 23, 2013:I did it! I saved enough to cover the bulk of our holiday groceries. If I hadn’t bought a prime rib roast on sale I would have made it. (Oh well, that roast netted me 3800 points!) Here’s my receipt:

Update December 31, 2013– Lesson learned: always check the receipt! I did a medium-sized grocery shop at Valu-Mart (where PC Plus points are in play) and the cashier didn’t really know what she was doing. She scanned my card (or seemed to scan it), I paid for my groceries, and looked at the bill. There were no points listed at the bottom even though I knew a handful of products had points attached to them. I asked her if she scanned the card, she said she did. There happened to be another cashier standing there and she also told me the card had been scanned (basically making me feel like I was wasting their time). It was clear to me that it didn’t scan so I went to customer service and showed them the bill. She agreed there were points missing. She was able to add the missing points on the spot, which was great.

Update October 4, 2014– I have $330 available dollars to redeem. Yay! I’m well on my way to paying for Christmas. I’d like to point out that it pays to be vigilant. Check those receipts! I am missing points almost every time. Especially as it pertains to digital offers.

Update December 28, 2014 – Mission accomplished! I collected enough points to take a huge chunk out of the cost of Christmas this year. I used my PC Plus Points to buy Christmas dinner (see receipt below), LCBO gift cards to cover the cost of wine and beer, a gift card to H&M as a stocking stuffer for one of the girls, and a gift card to the Cineplex so we can treat ourselves to a family movie over the holidays. As you can see, I was still able to earn a lot of points even though I was redeeming. Also worth noting, PC Points can only be redeemed in increments of $10. This is why I was only able to cash in $170 worth of points.

Update: December 21, 2015 – Once again I’m using my PC Points to buy our entire Christmas dinner, along with some stocking stuffers for the family. Yay! After a solid year of collecting points, as of today I am eligible to redeem $370 worth of points. As per last year, I’m also buying a gift card for us to use at the Cineplex. There have been a couple of noteworthy app updates this year as well. The app tracks how much money I’ve saved to date ($750!) which is good to know. You can also “hold” regular digital deals for a week if you can’t use it right away. If you’re using your PC Plus app, just swipe left while looking at your list of offers.

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130 Responses to "PC Points: Making the most out of the PC Plus loyalty program"

Thanks for the overview! I haven’t joined yet because of the email component. How often do they send emails? Do I have to actually read the emails to fully benefit from the program? I was happy with the regular PC points (with PC Banking) because it was automatic and I didn’t have to think about it. And I didn’t need a second card or fob.

Have you successfully used this at the Superstore in Westboro? There was a gentlemen in front of me who tried to use this points card and the cashier was confused as to what it was. It sparked some questions with another cashier who said they don’t take them there.
Just wondering if you’ve had success there?

Siobhan – The email comes out once a week. It’s really just a reminder to load the new savings but I find it useful because it notifies me of the bigger offers too, like the 20K promo I mentioned above… and that is something I am glad to hear about. The second card is helpful if there’s another person on the scene contributing points to a central account. And I know I can hand my phone to the cashier for scanning, but I prefer just handing someone the card… know what I mean?

Jayda – the fact that it gives me points on groceries that I’m already buying (milk, bread, veggies) is a huge bonus for me. It seems almost effortless!

Jenn – You bring up a good point that I forgot to mention. RCSS and Loblaw are the same but different. Have you noticed they have different flyers? Well, the same goes for this program. I am assuming they will eventually roll out the program at the Superstore but they haven’t yet. So I have been doing all of my shopping at the Carlingwood Loblaws for that reason. Want to know how I figured all of this out? I did a huge shop at the RCSS in Westboro and when I got to the checkout the cashier had no idea about PC Plus. I was pretty annoyed because I went out of my way to buy a few larger items (toilet paper, laundry detergent etc) in order to get some of the points as per my app. I followed up afterwards with an email to the points people and actually they gave me the points retroactively, which I thought was pretty cool of them.

You know I really appreciate this post and the way you broke it down for us. How often are we bombarded with offers for a variety of so-called money saving options? The sheer mail coming into the house with credit card offers is overwhelming.

Two things that appeal to me about this post:

1. I am fond of our MasterCard credit card linked to Canadian Tire. It is the best card out there and gives you money on the card. How many times were my light bulbs or Swiffer juice or automotive oil free? So I get it, how a loyalty system can be supportive of your shopping needs.

2. Although I don’t call myself a brand loyalist (is that a term?) I do have to admit that I have nothing but good experience with PC products, available in the GTA not just at the more expensive Loblaws but also at No Frills (among other stores). So you have made me take a second look at this option.

We spend a lot of money on food, good quality food. You say I can get points on whole foods….that is almost unheard of in the coupon clipping department.

So…you don’t need to pay with a PC banking card to get these points? We used to collect points with our PC credit card, but then we cancelled it and I thought we were out of the program. We can get points on our own? Hmmmmm.

Lynn: There’s a lot of confusion around this and it hasn’t really been made clear… which is partly why I wrote this post! You do NOT need to be a PC banking customer in order to have a PC Plus points card!

I signed up online for this program (many months ago) and they never mailed me cards. I didn’t think I needed the cards (and I don’t have an iphone, at the time they didn’t have a BB app, I’ll have to check if that is still the case). I linked the card virtually to my debit card thinking that was all I needed to do. I learned recently that I needed the actual card (or app displaying my account number) to get the offers, which annoyed me since I didn’t get that from the sign up process. Also I didn’t realize the program wasn’t rolled out to RCSS stores. Since that is the home store I chose when I enrolled you think the system would have told me… So basically annoyed with the program so far.

Hello, I registered my pcplus card and just noticed that the number on the smaller cards (key ring) is different. Do I have to register these small cards as well or are they linked automatically to the big one? Thanks

Hi!
Thanks for your comment.
The number is different so they can both be tracked individually but they’re linked to the same account. You can go online and see the details for each transaction: which card you used, how much you spent, and how many points you received.

Hi Florence,
The PC Plus Points program (as least the one that isn’t attached to a PC bank account) doesn’t work that way. You gain points only on certain items in the store. Some of the points are on items that are accessible to everyone and others are specially selected just for you. They say that it’s based on your own shopping habits – and in a sense that’s true – but I also think they drop ones in there that they’re being paid to promote. But that’s just a guess.

I recently signed up for this program and am really excited to get started. There’s one thing hindering me, however; I went to buy groceries today and forgot my card. On their website, it doesn’t explain if you can earn points after you’ve done your check out if you forgot your card.
Can you clarify this for me? And if you can indeed earn points, can you please explain how?

This is why I carry the card on my fob for my car keys! I never forget it that way! :)

You can only collect points after the fact if you hold on to your receipt and contact them. Go to pcplus.ca and log in. Go to My Account and select “Points Inquiry”. Complete the points inquiry form and submit it. It takes a few days but someone should contact you. I’ve done this when I’m missing points, but not if I’ve forgotten my card. Let me know if it works!

You always say I’m sorry I can’t help you but if the darn program was made right we wouldn’t have this hazel, would we ? They tell me at the store to register which I did but it won’t send me the email to verify it so what do you want from me. Correct it that’s what I want from you or eliminate the whole thing.

Hate to be a downer, but I really don’t like the PC Plus program. There have been several times when my points haven’t been recorded properly. The worst was when I spent $150 to get the 20,000 points deal but it didn’t show up in my points total. It all seems very flakey. The other pain in the neck is having to show your card before checkout starts. Why can’t they let you do this afterwards when you are getting your bank card out etc? The Shoppers Drug Mart program just works. Show your card and no problem!

You bring up a good point about the recording of points. It is important to look over the receipt afterwards. They are usually pretty good about giving the points after the fact, but you need to (a) do this online (b) and have your receipt handy… otherwise they won’t do it.

In terms of when you need to hand over the card… The cashier can take it at the beginning or the end of the transaction. I asked the cashier today.

In regards to collecting points with your receipt when you did not have your card; I was unsuccessful. I had loaded my points before leaving for the store (I only have the phone app, no cards) and left the house without my phone. I realized it when I arrived at the store but live 1/2 hour away so was not going to go back for it. Bought my groceries and would have earned 40,000+ points due to the 20,000 for $100 promo. When I got home I called and gave all of the information to the attendant and he advised me “that it was very, very difficult” but he would send the request and I should see the points in 3-5 days. Three weeks later I received an email saying that they would not honour the points because I didn’t present my card during the purchase. I was extremely disappointed and felt this was a cop out. I feel that I likely would have received the points if it was a smaller amount.

Sorry, but you do realize that you’re commenting on a personal blog, and not on the actual PC website, right? You will have to contact the people who actually work for the company in order to fix your issues. Their website is: http://www.pcplus.ca

love the program. They had a deal if you spend 100 get 15000, buy 20 worth of produce get 2000. Buy 20 of meat get 3000. for every 1 dollar get 200 pts for pork and beef, and get 2000 pts for every 20 dollars of beef. Spent 129 dollars got 53,000 pts.

I’m presently working as a cashier at a RCSS. I can try to explain why they have the cashiers swipe the cards at the beginning of the transaction. The short answer is that the supervisors tell us to – and they monitor and micromanage our work to make sure that is what we are doing. The longer answer is that they don’t want a cashier to forget about it and it’s easier to remember at the beginning of the transaction than at the end. Also, it’s been noticed that swiping the card at the end has caused some points not to register, and even the occasional cash register computer crash. You might argue that those last 2 reasons should be fixed – and you’d be right – but those of us working in stores just want you to get all the points you should and not hold you up with a cash register computer crash so we do the best we can with the workarounds. As for myself, I ask at the beginning, keep scanning groceries while the person fishes out the card (or not), ask in the middle if it seems the person isn’t pulling it out, and save one item at the end to scan and try to get the card run before that last item. Perhaps it’s because I’m older, I run a household, and I collect PC Points myself – but I always remember. I think the supervisors where I work have noticed I never forget, so I don’t get flack for my slight alteration to their rigid procedures. :)

Also, if you have one of the PC Financial cards with a PC Plus card tethered to it, get the cashier to scan it at the beginning of the order for the points only. If you do not, you will not get the PC Plus points from your offers – only the points you accrue for making a purchase. This seems to confuse people that have had a PC Financial card for a long time since it is an extra step. We have buttons on our register keypad for all these things and if you have a cashier that doesn’t seem to understand this, you should ask to speak to their supervisor. I’m sorry, but this isn’t rocket science here – they should know how to push the right button…

The only thing that bothers me is that you can load single offers. In fact, I don’t know what the point of loading offers is at all since it’s all or nothing. In addition, I wish the grocery list part listed all of the offered items in their store sections just like the rest of my grocery list.

I signed up and have had no problems, BUT: does anyone else find it creepy that somewhere a computer is keeping track of not just that you spent money at Loblaws (or Fortinos, etc.), but exactly what you bought? I know that there’s no privacy anywhere any more, but this program really brings the point home — 1984 is indeed in full flight!

Great article and helpful commentary. I have been a PC financial card member for about 2 years and have gotten my parents to switch over from other loyalty (airmiles) credit card to PC so we could rack up the maximum points as a famiy as we share reward memberships at costco too.I agree with the comments that pc plus program for pc financial members is confusing. I spent about a month in January using my phone to get pc plus points and one day I forgot my phone and got a pc plus card . When I went to register the card online I found out the pc financial card is the same but you need to scan at the beginning of transcation.I have had to mention this to family members who have been like huh? A little counterintuitive .

On the plus side , I like the weekly emails about offers based on past purchases and Ioad the offers on the app and make shopping list on the app before going in .I can easily make 20000 points every 2-3 weeks as it’s pc plus with pc financial . Last week there was offer for 10000 points for 25 dollars of joe fresh clothes(socks, underwear, etc).That is 10 dollars in savings ! I like buying things I want and earning points.

For more savings cash in your collected points on tax free days or dollar days or if student 10% off days.

The amount of savings means I am thinking of getting rid of my costco membership when I have to renew and that store is too far away anyways. Sorry costco. Thanks pc plus and pc financial :D

I want to discontinue getting email from PC Plus Points but when I unsubscribe, I never am permitted to get rid of it. There is no way to unsubscribe unless you have a suggestion for me that will help me to stop receiving these emails.

Yeah I got a rude awakening about the loading the offer stuff to your phone and it was for spending over $100 for 10000 points . The customer service at a dominion in newfoundland were really unhelpful today and did not say you need to load the offer from the specific email about the offer. Just load the offer…. So I did within the app with no success.So in response I discarded a lot of my cart and just got some sale items. I can easily save that kind of money on Tuesdays 10 percent off for students. I am also really glad I took advantage of earn 20000 PTs when spend more than $100 last month .

On a previous visit, a cashier gave me a good tip to always ask how many points have you earned with these kind of offers to avoid stupid things like not earning points because it was $ 100 before taxes but she let me get an extra item and I got the points or not loading the offer correctly and losing easy points.

I figured out the solution to load offers from my email after the offer was over :(

I’ve been have a month long feud to get my 100,000 points. I spent $400 for glasses. They had a promotion that stated 25,000 for every $100 spent.

Supposedly the optician didn’t scan my card. I have the receipt. I paid with the PC mastercard so I have that receipt. I have spoken with close to a dozen people. I have spoken to supervisors. I’m now email customer service.

This is ridiculous. I’ve had to email 4-5 times already to get missed points added (other than the glasses promotion). I like shopping at Loblaw, especially since their organic foods are expanding. But, this system is highly flawed!!!

P.C.Plus card sucks….I shop Friday morns between 10-12 am….I also am 61 years old…retired….and now looking at Walmart as the place to shop. SOME LOYALTY card!!!! HA HA! Last week was 1000 bonus points..on a SINGLE. $250 purchase. The G/F and I have shopped there for many years…together….while our combined total was 265$ …u guessed it…can’t be done…there’s LOYALTY for u…I receive the e-mails on FRI (u guessed it….after I shop)in the P.M. Phone the call center…lots of apologies…but….for your LOYALTY…notta can be done…so I load the card…and get notta…cause they expire at Thurs. 12 A.M. Can u pls change the date I receive my offers…..NO….sorry for that….HAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A TOTALLY RIDICULOUS LOYALTY PROGRAM.

I’ve been using PC Plus points program for quite some time now. I have found numerous mistakes, where I don’t get the points that are loaded onto my card….in particular for blueberries and dish soap. Blueberries are loaded onto my card every week, and NEVER do I get the points at the checkout. I have brought this to the attention of PC Plus NUMEROUS times and I get a form letter in return, saying how sorry they are and how hard they are working on this. I guess they don’t have tech support there? It’s gotten to the point where many people actually print out their offers and take that with them when they shop. To get the points that were not rewarded, you have to jump through hoops on line …date, item, price, points, and the 21 digit code number on the bottom of the receipt. VERY frustrating to have to do that every week….it seems that the people who respond to my complaints are ‘coin operated’ and don’t know how to resolve some fairly simple problems. Overall, the system is a good one….too bad they can’t fix their glitches.

You don’t have to wait for the email to load your offers. first thing Friday morning I go online to pcplus.ca, sign in to my account and load my offers then and there.
I don’t get the email until later in the day.
If I don’t get the points on a specific thing, I call their number and they can pull up your last receipt and they give them to me immediately.
I have never had a problem with this at all.

I have to agree with the Mike. I really dislike this loyalty program… Far to much work involved… To many land mines to avoid. It all feels like a sham, specially when your bonus points your offered don’t equate to what an item would normally cost on sale.

This loyalty program was the final nail in the coffin for me… Now I buy My Meats and Veggies at Metro and Canned goods at Basics… Save a heck of a lot more then PC points will.

(Shoppers Optimum on the other hand is AMAZING, and you can earn tons of points on sale items on top it.) Go shoppers!

I love this program. We use our PC Master card to purchase a lot of stuff (business) which gives us lots of points. I used enough points to buy a $100 gift card…and then I use my points for my groceries, then use the fuel discount coupons, and if there is still any outstanding balance, I use the gift card.
Doesn’t cost me anything for food. :)

Disappointing that the Digital points are not always loaded at the store. Thought I had misread this week’s Bonus Digital offer, came home and it had been loaded to card and I had read it correctly. I made a points enquiry, and they have yet to award the points. (5000/$25 Kitchen prep, Home decor, or bed and bath) I will be shopping elsewhere in the future!

Lori,
You can’t earn points just for buying anything at the store, that’s kind of the point. You earn points by (1) selecting the groceries that have a point value attached and (2) making sure the cashier scans your card every time you’re there.

I’m guessing you’re not buying very many items with point values and for that reason it’s not adding up very quickly.

I’m very certain the first time we were signed up to the program (Because of how quickly we were accumulating points) we DID in fact receive points based upon dollars spent. That features seems to have disappeared.

I am also flabbergasted that they do NOT require ID to sign up but if I wish to edit my DISPLAY NAME on the account (not the email address) they require my Driver’s license?

Have been apart of the PC Plus program since November 2013 and I couldn’t be happier, and really who wouldn’t be happy when a business is giving you free groceries/merchandise just for shopping at there stores. This past summer I bought a brand new patio set for my backyard with my points and now I’m well on my way to having Christmas paid for with points. It’s even better now that No Frills is apart of the program. :)

I always received an email saying it ws time to Load My Points for the week and it was very simple to just make one click of the mouse and my bonus points were loaded to my card. I have changed my email address and now I do not receive this weekly email even though I have given PC Plus my new email address. I find it very difficult if not possible to load my points to my card now. Can you please help me out. Thank you.

Hi guest.
They say that they reserve the right to limit the offer but it hasn’t happened to me yet. But then again, I might be buying reasonable amounts of things. So for example, every once in awhile there’s a point deal on tinned fruit, I’ll buy a 5-6 tins. Maybe they’d cap it if I was buying three or four times that, I’m not sure!

I was going through cashier at Superstore in Langley, BC, when I told cashier that I wanted to redeem 20,000 points to pay towards the groceries. She told me that my card was apparently set @ collect only and I couldn’t use them towards my bill. What the Heck!!! I then went to customer service and they gave me the pcplus.ca stuff,and I cannot find how to switch over to use points to pay. I am hearing impaired so phone is out for me. SO FRUSTRATING!! ;(

I find after every shop, I’m always having to email them ablut missed points. Just 2 weeks ago, I missed out on 3,700 points. I emailed them and got it right away, but you really do have to watch the receipt

I loaded my polnts this morning and went shopping at No Frills. I handed the cashier my PC Plus card and she scanned the card but it failed to give me 2000 points for each magazine I purchased. This isn’t the first time this has happened. How discouraging this is as I can purchase magazines anywhere in town even the Metro store.

norwel: You can’t enter missing points yourself. You need to submit your question to the folks at PC Plus directly. You can do this via the PC Plus app, or the website. Do note: if you didn’t “load” your deals before you shopped, you are out of luck.

I just sent an email to PC regarding coupons. Am I reading the terms and conditions of the offers correctly?? Do they really NOT count coupons? So if they say, “spend 2 dollars” and 50 cents is a coupon, we don’t get the points? The manufacturers coupon is CASH to PC. They submit the coupons and they get paid !!! Why should we be penalized for using coupons? On many coupons the manufacturers actually PAY the company for each coupon they submit to cover labor. If I am reading this correctly, see ya later. This now becomes one of the worst loyalty programs around because over the last 4 weeks I haven’t found ONE product offered to me that isn’t priced higher than I can get it somewhere else. I can use a flyer and price match at a Walmart to get the lowest prices. If I can’t offset the higher prices at Zehrs with coupons I’m out of this program real fast.

I have been collecting for about a year now and have noticed something interesting. The more points you collect the less attractive the offers are.

I have 398600 points on my card. In the beginning I was getting great offers on all the food items I normaly purchase
400 points for beef was a weekly offer. When I reached around 250000 points it became 200 points for beef
And now I get that offer about once a month

So I opened a second card in my wife’s name and I am getting the 400 points for beef weekly on that card.
We have around 70000 points on this one.

Cam: I can’t say that I have had the same experience, but I do think the points fluctuate. Some weeks are really good, other weeks less so.

It’s also interesting to note that Loblaws partners with some manufacturers of new products and use the PC points program to introduce new products and bring some attention to them. I’m assuming manufacturers pay Loblaws a premium to do so.

Andrea, thank you for your information it was real helpful. Not sure how ended up on your site but was trying to register my card. Just one thing. . .Your last entry is incorrect. It is not possible that an entire year has gone by that I missed. I am sure you meant Dec 2014? Have a great week!

This is very helpful. Thanks so much.
I am new to this program but loving it already – the points add up so quickly with just my reguar shop.
So I can save point and redeem say 200 bucks all at once?
I can buy gift cards with the points?
Thank you.

hello Dee!
Yes, you can save them up and redeem them all at once, like I did over Christmas. Do note you can only do it in increments of $10. So $200 would work, but $201 would not. (You’d have to pay the remaining $1 out of your own pocket.) And yes, you can also buy gift cards – which is amazing!

I agree with Andrea, the biggest thing to making the most out of your PC points is two things: pay particular attention to those items on your PC weekly offers that are also on sale, because then you are really getting a deal….and secondly, scrutinize your receipt to make sure you get the points you are supposed to! It is a weekly job for me to check the receipt and I am sorry to say I am shorted points EVERY…SINGLE….WEEK. That is money you are owed that you won’t get unless you call. I don’t like having to call to get points that should have been awarded automatically, but I do it. Often I complain about having to call every week and they will give me extra “goodwill” points to make up for it. I’m sure most people don’t call, and who knows, maybe that’s what PC Plus program counts on. I will call for even a dollar shorted! If you were walking down the street and saw a dollar on the ground, wouldn’t you pick it up?

I am member 11337 1890 7068. This is the third time I have to write to inform you that I am no longer receiving my grocery list online to let me know what grocery items are good for points. I was told, before, that I had disabled myself from getting that information but I have NOT done any such thing. I would like my account activated again PLEASE so I can download my items before I go grocery shopping. I am no longer getting anything online….What happened that I no longer am getting this information? I am a loyal shopper and have not changed anything on my own. What happened? Just renew my account to former status. For the third time, I am writing to inform you of the same thing…Thank you very much for re-instating my ability to get my info…June Schiavoni

I used to make sure I did my big monthly shop on the first Monday and Tuesday of each month. In addition to the special offers and in store offers Extra Foods did a thing with 15000 points for each $100, 4000 points for $40 o baby and health and 2000 points for bakery or another dept. This was great with 2 toddlers as I waited and stocked up on essentials fir the month or more. I could easily get 65 bucks on this shop. I got 800 dollars worth of points last year and 450 so far this year.

My issue happened this May. Extradoods turned into an Independent Grocery. ..still has points but I totally missed my days as they changed…I don’t even know what days they are: 1st and 2nd or sat and sun (in May they fell that way)…

I have a PC plus card and I came across this article of yours and was really shocked at the points you are getting awarded for things. My offers are no where near the points you have said you get for things. I have never gotten an offer for spending over a certain amount either. Actually I googled how to get the most out of your PC plus program because I was finding it to be going quite slow with earning money back. I dont’ mind though, because the store I shop at has great prices already compared to other grocery stores around us so this is just a bonus on top of the savings I guess…. I still wish I could accumulate points faster though like you are. It would make it a lot more fun and rewarding. Also, when I upload my offers I get maybe a maximum of 6 offers that’s all… is that about how many you get as well? Sometimes I will only get about 3 even though I do full grocery every week at this store (minus meat… I get that at a local butcher)

Hi Deb,
You’ve brought up some interesting issues and it’s something I’ve wondered about as well. How different the offers are for different users? I just looked at what I have this week and there are 15 offers plus two bonus offers good for two days only. One is for Tide (1600 points for every $8 spent) and the other is for the indoor floral department (5000 points for every $20 spent). I won’t be using all 15 this week as there are a few items I’d never buy: breakfast shakes, a type of floor cleaner etc. All this being said, it really does pay to be aware of your weekly offering compared to prices at different stores. My store does price matching. Does yours? It might be worth looking in to!

Sorry but seems like a rip off to me. I spent $700 today and received 4600 points. That give me about $6???? Had I purchased my groceries at Metro or Sobey’s, I would have received approximately $70 to redeem with Air Miles. I’m ditching the PC points card and sticking with Sobey’s or Metro.

Just wanted to add: We don’t have a key fob or a card, just an app on our tablet. We were thrilled to find out that our No Frills in Surrey accepts PC Plus. We stock up on pantry specials when there are special offers. Sometimes the cashier isn’t willing to use our app for the points or we forget to bring our tablet so we keep the receipt and fill in a points inquiry. Never had an issue redeeming the points after.

ive had my pc financial card for almost two years now and used my pc points once for 20 dollars , my problem is that the last time I shopped and the cashier told me I only had 13000 points I was shocked . can u please tell me why all my points are gone?

I have had the PC credit card for a few months..Seemed to be working well, was enjoying getting the most points I could. But then I started to notice I was only getting the points for my offers and bonus points etc. But that was it. No points for using the credit card. Lets say I knew I had earned 5000 points for food. This is shown on your receipt, whether you pay cash or credit card. Then you wait a few days, check the PCPlus site and the PC credit card transaction only reports the same total of points you see on receipt, nothing for the extra points that should be earned for using your credit card. They promote, 1, 2, or 3x points on transactions. If I spend $50 on gas, I see points earned but if I spend $50 at the superstore with zero points earned, it says zero. I have inquired, got the run around by email 5 times, they keep telling me to make sure cashier scans card twice, at beginning and end, finally I got someone understood and created a Points Inquiry ticket, and still haven’t heard back. I feel like I have a new part time job, keeping track and reconciling my points!!

Just read your post, and since you just updated the article recently, I thought I would ask…….

I am finding that the offers have been a lot less generous lately, and I noticed a similar slowdown the last time I went over a 200.00 balance as well. Do you notice the same? Or is it just that my spending habits are a bit out of sync with the offers? I’m finding for the past month that they are sending me offers on items I just bought in large quantities….so I’m not buying more at this time.

I agree with you…it’s a great program and I love it! Just wondered if you have noticed a slowdown lately.

Angela,
It’s hard to say whether there’s been a slowdown and if the point values that are awarded are getting smaller or not. For the past two years, I’ve been able to save about the same amount of points to put towards a big end-of-year shop. It’s hard to know why this is. Am I better at shopping and finding the best point earners? Or is does it have something to do with how the points are awarded?

I have been a PC Plus member for a number of years, I always mange to accumulate a minimum of $800 + per year in free products. You do have to keep an eye on your offers and receipts, mistakes do happen, but mine have always been resolved.

We are a mature couple, no kids at home anymore. When I shop I always keep track of non-perishables – when they are included in my offers, if they are on sale I buy the maximum allowed, if not on sale I buy what I think will get us through a couple months. Sometimes there are in-store offers, if they show up on my personal offers (awesome double-dip), again I will max out my limit (but only if it can be used before it expires/ goes bad etc). When there is a special offer for GC’s, I will only purchase what I KNOW my family will use (these I save for birthdays or Christmas). I will also wait a week or so if something I want isn’t on my offer list, because it will usually re-appear down the road. When there is an offer for Joe Fresh clothing, I will purchase baby clothes for upcoming baby showers that I will be attending. I do not buy anything that we do not use or doesn’t have a recipient in mind.

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i did go my account to verify my card number ,But it says it is in use already, how can that be . i’m try to find out how get to my points , on my card it was so much easier the first time around unable to get offers since last years September. hmmm i still shop at extra foods should i get another card.and would i still get my points that’s on this card. or can up print step by step so i can learn how to load my offers thanks Patsy

I save my points in $100 increments and then I trade it in for gift cards. The last past points I have traded in were Home Hardware gift cards and when I had enough to buy five new doors for my upstairs of my home. I have also traded points for Canadian Tire gift cards and it paid for all the paint to paint the upstairs of my house except my bathroom. This is such a great way for me to get some minor renos done around my house. I’m grocery shopping anyways. I love the PC plus card.

I purchased groceries…presented my pc plus card but had not downloaded my offers…the clerk told me that I can get my points by going online and giving the info from my receipt…however I have looked everywhere to do this but have been unsuccessful …could you please tell me how this is done …I lost 660 pc points thanks

I purchased groceries…presented my pc plus card but had not downloaded my offers…the clerk told me that I can get my points by going online and giving the info from my receipt…however I have looked everywhere to do this but have been unsuccessful …could you please tell me how this is done …I lost 660 pc points thanks

I have collected points for various plans – aeroplan, airmiles (used to be ok but now stingey with points – so it will take forever for me to get points to pay for any trips in the future – very disappointed with the new changes), shoppers drug mart (good I like this one two) , walmart (total waste of time – although i still use swipe my card when in walmart) etc.

But this new improved pc points program with the mastercard (black card – PC Financial World Elite MasterCard) is far superior. Yes you have to load your points but its easy as it pops up on your phone to tell you – you have new offers – and then you load them and bobs your uncle you can go shopping. I have received – special bonus offers to purchase things like gas (spend $50 get 20,000 points) etc. I started in April this year and I have accumulated $560 worth of points!! Love it!!

Claiming missing points on your phone app – click on transactions find the specific transactions- click on it and it asks you about missing points – u just type the missing points offer information (very general) and within 24 hours they will give you your points or email you if they need more information.

This is really the best rewards program I have tried (and i have tried them all – all in the name of trying to save) – its worth pursuing and trying out.

The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our two daughters Emma (17) and Sarah (15). I am the managing editor of our community newspaper, the Kitchissippi Times, and a regular contributor to MediaSmarts.ca. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger, and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999... which makes me either a total dinosaur or a veteran, I'm not sure which! The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, family travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa for families. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

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